4.30.2012

The Perils of Salon Visits

Before this week's post begins, you will probably notice that The Daily Connoisseur has an entirely new look! Thank you to Smitten Blog Designs for making my vision come to life...

And now for this week's post on The Perils of Salon Visits...

Last week I ventured out of bed rest to go get my eyebrows done (I get mine threaded). I was very overdue for this beauty maintenance fix that I am normally quite regular with. I know I was at home and eyebrows don't really matter when one is on bed rest but I was longing for some fresh air and I live quite close to the salon. So I made the trek.

When I walked into the salon they put me with a new lady, one who had never worked on me before. I wasn't worried because I've been treated by everyone in the salon and have always had great results. Still, as a peremptory warning, I requested before she began, "Please do not make my eyebrows thin". I have a hard time growing my eyebrows out and have had bad experiences in the past (namely with waxing) where the brow person has taken off too much.

Unfortunately, I think my new brow lady only heard, "Please make them thin", because when she finished, I regarded in horror my new emaciated eyebrows. I was so speechless I could not even complain. I just paid my bill and hobbled back to bed rest to forget about the entire situation (that is probably what I get for disobeying doctor's orders!)

This all got me thinking about the perils of salon visits. We go hoping to achieve a certain result and sometimes we leave less than satisfied. I know a lot of people have this trouble when they get their hair done.

Sometimes it is the way we communicate with our beauty practitioners that is key. Now I know to say, "Please clean up my brows, do not shape", when I visit my brow salon again. That command is less open to interpretation.

Another issue I had been dealing with of late is my skin having unfavorable reactions to certain beauty treatments. Which prompted me to do this week's video (which was shot before the eyebrow debacle), where I share with you a top skincare tip for sensitive skin.

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comments:

Yes, I've just been to a high-end salon to get my hair 'cleaned' up as I grow out a very cropped pixie cut [thinking this was the best option-a consultation, less distraction]. Like you, I just paid the bill and left as it appears I've lost about three months growth.

Afterwards I was thinking how I could have communicated better. I remain at a loss and quite literally left with nothing to do but wait!

Seems like every 8-10 years I need to find new salon service providers, which is a pretty good batting average. I begin my search for a new home when they don't really listen, don't understand, or think they know better. Then I bounce around from mistake to mistake until I find someone good. It's HARD!

I've certainly had my share of bowl-shaped haircuts and eyebrows threaded to look like Spock.

It helps to know that there will always be a chance of mishap. And that my hair or eyebrows will indeed grow back. It makes the salon visit less anxiety-ridden and more adventurous.

More importantly, I'm thankful I've never had to endure permanent scarring from some skin procedure gone wrong. Part of that is taking great care of myself in the first place and not needing harsh regimens done. Compared to that, I'll take an over-threading anyday.

The blog looks nice! My worst salon experience was 6 yrs ago when I was a bridesmaid in my sister's wedding. I'd met the stylist beforehand, but the morning of the wedding when I gave her the picture of the style I wanted, she completely ignored it. I said, NO 80's-prom up-dos... and what did I get?? It looked straight out of Pretty in Pink! On the way to the photo shoot I could barely undo the style from all the hairspray + pins. It was nerve-racking to redo my hair in the car, but thankfully it came out alright.Take care~d

Hello, I love your website, and your brows look great :) My salon disaster was more of a salon annoyance. I'm multiracial, so my hair is very thick and curly, but in high school I wanted a Halle Berry cut, and at the salon all I got were reasons why it wouldn't work with my hair and how bad it would look, and then it wasn't even cut right at all, as if the stylist didn't even try to make it work! However, I am very happy to say that I now have an awesome stylist who does my hair just how I want it, I may not be Halle, but I'm close ;)

I wondered if you had any tips on long haul flights at all, specifically as regards skincare. I'm just back from a trip to South Africa (I'm based in the UK) and the long flights have really made my skin dry out and look so old! Any tips on how to avoid gaining 10 years on an overnight flight would be great, thanks!

I think the stylist I've been using for the last 3 years has grown to like me less and less over the time I've been seeing her, and she's decided to stop trying. Last time I paid almost $300 and she didn't even freshen the layers. Very disappointing. Time to find someone new!

My salon "disaster" story is a little bit like yours! I had a pedicure done at a garden-variety mani/pedi place that is not "high-end" and I had rashes/hives from the lotion that they used to massage my legs! More over, the scent was so obnoxious and pervasive, it stuck to the skin & the jeans that I wore. However, they did such a great job for such a low price, I keep coming back to them. The secret is just like what you shared: I made my own mani/pedi bag. I stash my fave lotion, bath salt, cuticle oil, even top/base coat and my own polish for touch ups, a glass file and a box of orange wood sticks. Now, I enjoy my mani/pedi so much more and better, I can touch up at home. I just grab my mani/pedi bag and go.

Hi Everyone- Thanks for writing in and sharing your stories! The video was shot before my eyebrow mishap so thank you for all of your compliments about my eyebrows but they no longer look like that! Haha- what can one do but laugh? :) The growing out process is quite unattractive but I just use a little eyebrow powder every day to fill them in. I suppose it's probably a good idea to see the same practitioner every time so I don't have to go through the anxiety of explaining how I like them done. But I know most of you can relate that with our busy lives sometimes we don't know we are able to fit a treatment in until the last moment!

Claire- I had the same experience at my old nail salon. I had a rash on my legs from the lotion they used! Such a great idea to bring your own products.

Sallie- I have seen that 1st editions of my book are selling for quite high on Amazon marketplace- which is very surreal for me. Maybe this means they will be collector's editions! I hope you are all able to wait for the new edition November 6th! Jennifer x

OH! Sorry bout your brows! I am excited to get my hair cut today....and can totally relate how much pressure we put on the simplest salon visit to make us feel amazing. Great change of phrase re: shaping....maybe I will get my brows shaped...I barely even tweeze em these days with tow babies running wild! LOL.

I always bring a photo with me to the salon -- even though I love my stylist and she does fabulous work. It always helps to have a "visual," and the stylist appreciates it. As for eyebrows, I've heard that B vitamins and omega oils help hair growth.

My salon disaster ? It was a facial care. The machine of water vapor leaked, so water ran on my face. Since it was boiling water, I was left with a 1st grade burn, all this a few days before my cousin's marriage. THAT was not a half disaster !When I asked explanations, the aestetician replied to me that it was no big deal and that I must not be impolite to ask them explanations. Of course, we go to a salon for a first grade burnt from boiling water ! I didn't get back to that salon, for sure.

When I was little my mother took me to her salon (I still go there, actually), and there was a woman who always did my sister and mines' hair. She never seemed to get it right... She was very conservative and even though I always brought a picture with me of what I wanted my hair to look like, I never left happy.

Fortunately, they hired another stylist who always gets it right! Hair is such a personal thing and it's so important to have a good relationship with your stylist - having the right person cutting your hair is almost as important as having the right haircut.